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Drakeford’s “SNP baby-box rip-off”

The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the frontrunner in the Welsh Labour leadership contest for suggesting he would introduce a free box of childcare items for every new-born in Wales.

Mark Drakeford AM has plagiarised the SNP-run Scottish Government’s idea of a box which can be used for a baby to sleep in, which initially contains things such as clothing and other such items.

The policy was criticised when it was introduced in Scotland due to safety concerns. Nicola Sturgeon’s own poverty adviser also called them “a gimmick” that would cost millions of pounds with little improvement to show for it.

Welsh Conservative and Shadow Health Secretary Angela Burns AM said:

“One can tell that there is a leadership contest on in the Welsh Labour Party as candidates are making the usual un-costed policy promises they cannot hope to keep.

“Mark Drakeford has been a part of the Welsh Labour Government for five years – plenty of time to put forward this policy, especially when he was Health Secretary. But, like in his time as Finance Secretary, he has accomplished nothing and sent Wales on a negative course.

“This baby box PR stunt is unwise as it does not allocate money to where it needs to be: like free prescriptions, the richest in society would be just as eligible as the poorest to take advantage of taxpayer-funded freebies.

“This will do little to solve inequality or improve the health of Wales’ children. Welsh Labour have had nearly two decades to get on with making Wales a better place, but are failing miserably. Another of their Cardiff cabal will do little to change that.”